which cleanser is better? since cetaphil has sodium laureth sulfate which may irritate some people's skin and aquanil has sodium lauryl sulfate...is there a noticeable difference?
cetaphil seems to dry me out too sometimes which is strange because i have extremely greasy skin. i'm thinking of switching to aquanil but i'm afraid that i might get an initial breakout.
Hey Malia,
I see that you asked this question a long time ago but I recently switched to Aquanil which was recommended by my dermatologist. My skin is very sensitive and gets itchy with lots of face products. I have been acne free for a while now but went back to the derm because my forehead felt bumpy, flakey, and itchy. I had been using Cetaphil but he said that there is even an ingredient in it that causes some people problems. Aquanil is for hypersensitive skin. I've been using it for about 3 weeks and my skin is soo soft. So I would definitely say I like Aquanil cleanser better. The only problem with it is that it's difficult to find in drugstores but I always have my pharmacy order it for me. Are you using Aquanil?
i figured out the reason Cetaphil was causing more breakouts was because it was a very old bottle. i had given up and started to used just water but that wrecked havoc. it made me flake and get more whiteheads. so then i bought a new bottle of Cetaphil and realized that the new bottle was thicker in consistency that my old one. after about 2-3 weeks on it, my face is starting to normalize although it still gets dry in the mornings.
we might have similar skin...the flakiness and bumpiness on the forehead. i have this bottle of Aquanil under my sink. it doens't leave a sticky film on your face? i hate the smell and yes, it is hard to find in drug stores. other people have trieds Eucerin soap-less face wash with more success.
i think i will switch back to Aquanil tongiht and see what happens.
if too many products are aggravating our skin why can't we just use a face wash with ONE or TWO products taht will effectively cleanse the skin?
btw, i applied extra virgin coconut oil on one side of my forehead for a few days and the whiteheads actually decreased. the other side, i was using Neutrogena's Multi-Vit acne treatment and my skin became so red and more pimply. i would think about doing this for the long term if i could find an easier way to dispense coconut oil (i scoop it out of a big tub now). another oil i would try is jojoba oil.
one theory on why some people may get acne is that when they use cleansers that dry out the top layer of skin, it shrinks the porse too much and the oil from underneath has nowhere to go. so it stays trapped underneath, forming a plug. if we use good oils like coconut and jojoba to open up the pore and dilute the sebum so that it can flow out, we would prevent the formation of a pimple. plus, coconut oil has natural vitamins to nourish your skin.
Malia,
Thanks for the oil advice...I like that theory. It does sound like we have similar skin. The flakiness has subsided for now but there are still a few bumpy areas. I have also been using Aquanil hydrocortisone lotion on my forehead to try to repair the skin (my derm's directions to me). I find that I like putting the Aquanil on my face dry (without splashing on water first) and then rinse it off. It does make my skin really soft but I am thinking I need to exfoliate at least once a week since it does not do that at all. Do you use a scrub or anything as well?
i definitely like the aquanil better and its only been three days. i've found my skin is not nearly as oily during the day as it was with cetaphil. doesn't anything with hydrocortisone make you break out? from what i understand it makes your skin regenerate faster and thats great if you have a cut but for acne prone skin it could regenerate too much and clog your pores. don't mean to scare you but if that's what the doctor said give it a shot.
we do the exact opposite! i rinse my face with warm-hot water before rubbing on the Aquanil. then i just wipe it off. if i wash in the shower i'll use a washcloth to sort of scrub my skin but it doesn't feel like its working too well. do you think we need to find another scrub? there's st. ive's apricot scrub and queen helene's oatmeal scrub but they both have so many ingredients in there like mineral oil that are poreclogging.
someoen suggested using baking soda...what do you think?
